As an author here on SoL, I am presented with some statistics to help me gauge the reactions to my stories. I can tell how many times they have been read, what you, the reader think about them from a quality perspective, who might be reading them again and if I am good enough for other authors to read. It is, at least, a nice curiosity.
I have been posting stories since 2007. In the last decade, I have posted twenty-two stories. Like most authors, I think some of them are good, and some of them not so good. And you as readers have the same opinions. What I find interesting, based on the statistics are those stories that I think are good, that you, as readers do not, and, even more oddly, those that you think are good or not good, yet are more or less read. Let me explain.
Over the past month, I have been watching with interest as my story I Want You In My Mouth has jumped up the stack to be my fourth most read story and is quickly closing in on third place. As you might expect, Luci is my most read story to date, although it is not the first one I posted (that was Purple Silk). My second most read story is A Rainy Night in Paris, a pale second and, if the trend continues, I Want You In My Mouth will surpass it by the winter.
Now, here is what I find interesting. Both Luci and A Rainy Night in Paris are considered by you, the readers, to be good stories. They have solid votes. The third most read story Afternoon Delight makes me scratch my head. A large number of you have read the story, but you have indicated you have liked it so much you gave it a 1. For a story that has been so well read, it sits at number 20 in terms of score, or story quality. Now, I know the reason some folks gave it a 1. I have already commented on it. But if it is so disliked, why is it so frequently read?
It is things like this that go through my mind as I am editing stories. I want to make sure my stories are good and that you, the reader will enjoy them. I certainly hope you will continue to enjoy reading them. As long as you are, I will continue to write and post them.
I am working on a new series called The Red Soda series. The first stories should appear this month. This is more of a random series of events rather than a cohesive story. I also have to finish up a series I call The Gang of Six. There are a number of vignettes in it, and I am having fun writing it as well. Finally, a novel I wrote at the end of last year Craps is also being edited. It might be next year before I get it up. And I know you all want more Luci. I would like more Luci too, so if you see her, send her my way?
Thanks for reading.